Humidifier



Aug. 12

F. B. CONHNS ET AL HUMIDlFIER 2 Sheets- Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITEDSTATES vPATENT OFFICE.

` FRANK B. COMINS, OF NEWTON,` AND QIOSEPH ARll/ISTRONG, OF IVIALDEN, MASSA- CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN MOISTENING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSA.-

CHUSETTS, A CORPORATION F MAINE.

HUMIDI'FIER.

Application filed July 14, 1921. Serial No. 484,633.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK B. CoMINs and JOSEPH ARMSTRONG, i citizens of the United States, residing at Newton and Malden, respectively, in the count-y of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts', have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Humidiers, o-f which the following is a specification. v i

This invention provides an improved humidifier. It especially relates to humidifiers in which there is means to provide a spray of water and a fan to force circulation of air. Such apparatus is commonly supported from overhead in the upper part of a room and includes asizable cylindrical casing set with vertical axis within which the spray is discharged, and at the top of which is the fan, turning on a vertical axis, and

driven by a water motor to which the fan is close coupled. Meansvmust be provided to supply water to the motor and water to the spraying nozzle; theremust also. be means to take away the water from each. The present invention provides for the practical elimination o f these parts, as separate and obtrusive elements, by combining them with the hanger which support-s the cylinder. Heretofore it has' been the practicey to support humidier casings from the ceiling by a suitable rod or strap hanger, and the water has been supplied by systems of piping, and, after passing through the motor, or jet, has been carried off byanother system of piping. The present improvement eliminates some expense, in that, aside from the cost of material, it saves expensive labor heretofore required to install the pipes and connections; decreases thefnet work of piping incidental to the humidifier system, makes the layout less complex, and makes it capable of being done more completely in the factory before installation; improves the appearance when installed; decreases the r weight carried by the ceiling or supports,

and in general gives improved results.

According to the present invention the in'- dividual humidiiiers are hung by tubing which may serve to conduct water from the from the motor outlet into the basepan of the humidifier, or through the base .pan into the general return pipe of the system.

vsupply pipe tothe water motor inlet vand the water supply for the motor.

To this end the ordinary rod or strap hanger of a humidifier is neplaced with tubes, soclieted in suitable fittings attached to the overhead beams or other supports, which tubes pass down along the sides of the humidifier and may, in fact, form part ofy its casing. o Suitable connections are provided whereby water may flow into one of these -hanger tubes near its top for use either in the nozzle or motor. Water that has passed through the motor and been'conducted through the hanger to the basey of the humidifier casing may there be discharged ltoflusli the pan, or, if, desired, may conytinue to a level below the pan and be discharged into the drain pipe thereof, and thence directly into the return of the system, with a sort of ejector effect that helps the drainage.

In the accompanying drawings, two preferred arrangements are pictured, but as the principles of the invention may be applied in other types, or combinations, the drawings are to be taken as merely illustrative. The patent is intended to cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of a humidifier embodying the linvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a front elevation, showing a modification in the piping arrangement;

Figure l is a side elevation of the modification shown in Figure 3; and- Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a detail.

Referring to the drawings, the humidifier has,within its casing 1l, a nozzle l0 for producing a conical spray above which is a water motor 12 adapted to drive a fan 13 to force air through the casing and incidentally through the conical spray within said casing. The casing" 1l has tubular vertical supports comprising pipes whose upper portions lt are screwed into sockets l5 attached to the overhead beams of the room. These pipes support the humidifier, also form part of the water .supply system.

yIn Figures l and 2 the water supply system is of the multiple type in that the water supply for the nozzle l0 is separate from rIhe nozzle supply in this arrangement forms no part of the invention, as it comes to the humidifier in suitable small pipes, 16, connected thereto in the customary manner, having no relation to the hanger pipes. The motor supply however, instead of being piped directly to the motor, enters one of the hanger pipes near its upper end by a T joint coupling 17. Below this connectionV and forming a part of the hanger pipe is a filter 18, and at some convenient place, either in the supply pipe 19er between the T coupling and thefilter, as illustrated, a valve 2O maybe placed whereby the water through the motor can be controlled. Befl tween the filter and the top of the humidifier `casing a clampA connection 21 yon the hanger pipet permits the attachment thereto of Aa short supply pipe 22 which constitutes the motor inlet. Below "the 'clamp connectiene plug joint or union 23 may beginsertedin the hanger pipe, to prevent the water from descending further through the leg of the hanger'v pipe. The'outlet. pipe 24 fromftheunotor isconnectedby a similar clamp connectionA 21 to the4 other-hanger pipe. The lwater,passes down through the portion26 of this hanger pipe and, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, passes therein through the base orjpanl28 ofthe humidifier casing, below which it is conducted. into the return pipe30 to flow therethr'ough facro'ss the4 end of the rdischarge 32, from 'the pan. In thisarrangement the L motor discharge'actsas a straight line flush to i keep the' return pipe h well f cleaned, and also. acts withv af sort "of ejector effect to move .any accumulation the pan.

InFiguresS rand 4 a unit vsupply, system is illustratedjfwherein thewater for both the nozzle and themotoriis brought to the humidifier in a single ypipef40 and passes through afvalve 42y and filter A44 be; forebeing separated. The branch 46 leading /toV fthe nozzle- 10k, leads.. through a diaphragm valve I48 by whichthe discharge freni the nozzle is automatically controlled, by` suitable 'means which arey well known and neednot herey be described.l 'Inthe arrangement of Figures` 1 and 2 there may be;r` individual diaphragm valves as here or a single diaphragm valve may control a whole battery of nozzles; but in the unit;l supplyV system of Figures 3 and E 4the: water for leach nozzle is supplied from the :same source as the water for its, motor, and `the desire to keepthe, motor continuously.. running,` with, only 'occasional operation 'of the' spray, is met byfputting a diaphragm veel im@ ech bench leading toda nozzle.

The other Ybranch 50. leading from the supplyrpipe belowthe filter is shown connec'ted directly'to. the motor, from which the water-'may be discharged through two separate outlet pipes 52 and 54, each of which leads to one of the hanger pipes. The connection betweenthese outlet pi )es and the hanger pipes may be the same klnd of clamps connected as heretofore described, or by any other suitable type 5G. Another method of discharge is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 wherein the lower ends 58 of the hanger pipes, are provided with perforated nuts 60 through the perforations 62 of which 'i the water may discharge into the base pan 28 of the humidifier casing. A stem 64 provided on these.. perforated Anuts extends downward through the bottom of the casing to .permit another nut 66 to be threaded on thestem so as to hold a support 68 for the humidifier base. The water thus discharged into the pan of the casing continually washes out its bottom and passes off through the regularreturn pipe 30 of the system'. i

. The features of conducting the discharge fromr the motor into both hanger pipes, and thence through openings therein into the pan ofthe humidifier aremade the subject matter of our divisional application, Serial No. 696,332 filed March 1,1924.

The tubular hangers thus both support the humidifier and conduct its water; with appearance greatly improved, and with economy of construction.`

We claim:

1. In a humidifier, the combination with a water motor of a tubular hanger constituting both a support forthe humidifier and a conduit` for water passing through said motor.r

2,111 a humidifier the combination with a water motor and a spraying nozzle of a tubular hanger adapted Vto support the hu- 5' midifier and to serve as, a conduit` for the water passing through theniotorand the nozzle.

3. Ina humidifier the1 combination with a water motor of a pair of tubular. hangers adaptedtosupport the humidifier and to serve as conduits for the water passing through the motor; said hangers affording supply passage to the motor and discharge passage therefrom.

4. In a humidifier the combination, with a water motor of a pair of tubular hangers adapted to support the, humidifier and to serve as conduitsy for the water. passing through the motor one ofl said hangers affording supply passa-ge tothe motor and the other of theml being connected with and conductingv its discharge water into the return piping fromi the humidifier.

5,. A humidifier having a casing, a spraying nozzle `in it, a pan under it with a dischargeoutlet, a fallend a water motor; combined `*with a `pair 'of pi es passing through said pan and adapte tol support the humidifier, one of which pipes has a porlll() tion constituting a Water supply passage and one of Which pi es has a portion constituting a motorewa er discharge passage, there being a connection at the bottom of the last said pipe to the discharge outlet of the an. p 6. A humidifier comprising a casing, a fan and a Water motor close-coupled at the upper end thereof, a pair of pipes constituting hangers for the humidifier and conduits for the Water passing through the motor, and a second pair of pipes each of which is connected to one of the first said pair and to the motor, whereby the motor if and fan are supported in operative position,

and through Which the motor-Water may he conducted.

7 In a humidifier the combination With a Water motor of a hanger adapted to support the humidifier and to constitute a portion of the Water supply passage to the motor, the said portion comprising a connection With a Water supply pipe, a Valve controlling the supply to the motor, a filter, and a connection leading to the motor.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this eleventh day of July, 1921.

FRANK R. ooMiNs. JOSEPH ARMSTRONG. 

